Admissions

Choosing a primary school for your child is an important decision. You will want to know how your child will be looked after; how they will spend their day; what will they learn and how as individuals will they be encouraged to do everything to the best of their abilities.

We know if you entrust your child to our care that they will become part of a happy, nurturing and successful school.

So why choose Dunmow St Mary’s?

 

Reception 2024

Applications for Reception 2024 open on 6 November 2023 and the national deadline is 15th January 2024. We are pleased to invite you to view our school with a 1:1 tour for your family with a member of our leadership team.

The tours will be running from Monday 2nd October until mid-November. Alternatively, you may wish to attend either our Open Morning on Wednesday 11th October or the Open Evening on Wednesday 1st November.

To book a tour or a place at either of the open morning/event please contact the school office on 01371 872340 or at admin@dsmprimary.essex.sch.uk.

Click on the link to view our school prospectus and admissions policy 2024-2025.

Applications for a primary school place for September 2024 can made via the Essex County Council website.

 

Early Years

Early Years

During the reception year a huge importance is placed on child led learning. Children are encouraged to pursue their own interests and curiosities in a stimulating, open ended environment. Child engagement levels are highest during child-initiated time and so the learning is deeper and more embedded.

This also allows staff to spend quality time with individual children and with small groups to identify what each child’s next steps are to move their learning on. Alongside this the children participate in daily adult led sessions to teach the key reading, writing and maths skills.

 

Our Values

Our Values

We believe that values need to be more than just written on a website and we know if you visit our school and talk to current members of our school community that they will tell you that our children and staff ensure that they embody our values of integrity, nurture, creativity, success and individuality in their every action.

With these values underpinning the ethos of our school we believe that there is no limit to what our children can achieve.

 

Our Community

Our Community

We want our children to develop into responsible and valuable members of society. Meeting new classmates and developing friendships helps the children learn how to be part of a group. By participating in assemblies and collective worship they gain a sense of being part of the school community. Through collaboration with our local church, exploring our local town and working with local businesses they start to build relationships with their local community.

Learning about British values, democracy, the environment, other countries and cultures as well as being involved in fundraising for others less fortunate than themselves, our children gain an understanding of their place in the world and the difference they can make to it.

Our Curriculum

Our Curriculum

The focus in our classrooms is on enjoyment and achievement. We encourage a growth mind set so that mistakes are seen as a pathway to new learning and an unknown skill is merely not known yet. Our creative curriculum is well-respected and every child is given the opportunity to develop independent learning skills through first-hand experience and enquiry. Our children are taught that they can achieve anything they set their minds to. They learn while becoming bakers, potters, artists, explorers, investigators, detectives, archaeologists, conservationists, researchers, scientists, musicians, athletes and authors.

 

Our Results

Our Results

Have the children had their eyes opened to the world around them? Have they developed a sense of self-esteem and self-worth that will carry them through the challenges of secondary school and beyond? Have they been given the opportunity to try a huge variety of sporting activities and represent their school at district or county competitions?

Has their individual love for art or music or sport or maths or writing been nurtured? Do they leave us confident, active members of the local community? These are the results we both aim for and achieve.

 

 

Visit our year group pages to get an overview of what the children are learning. Come and meet us and our children. See for yourself.

 

Mid-year Applications

From 1st April 2022 applications for a mid-year transfer will be made directly to the school and not via Essex County Council. This will not affect applications for children entering Reception in 2023 which will continue to be handled by Essex.

If you are moving into the area and would like to arrange a tour please call the school on 01371 872340 and ask for Helen Bright, or email admin@dsmprimary.essex.sch.uk. She will be able to answer any admissions questions you may have.

You can apply to change your child’s school during the school year. This is called a mid-year admission. Click on the link to view our Mid-year application form.

Your child is not guaranteed a place at your preferred school. You should not remove your child from their school before you have received another offer. We recommend that you:

Speak to your child’s headteacher before applying to another school
Contact the schools you are interested in before making a decision to move house or submit an application.
If you are moving to a new house you need to provide proof of your new address with your application.

If your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) you need to contact the Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) service using this link.